Cricket Tournaments in India is considered as a celebration by the population as the game has achieved the status of religion in the country. India has a rich history of organising several domestic level tournaments. The history of domestic Cricket tournaments in India dates back to almost the same time of India's first participation in international Cricket. Most of the domestic Cricket tournaments in India have been named after the pioneers of Indian Cricket, who have made the largest contributions to the well being and development of Cricket in India. The tournaments are mainly organised at different levels like district level, state level, or national level and various Indian Cricket Associations are in charge of organising these tournaments. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) supervises most of the domestic level cricket tournaments organised in India.

Ranji Trophy
The very first of the Cricket tournaments in India was the Ranji Trophy that was organised in the year 1934-35. The tournament was named after the legendary Indian Cricket player, Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, and was initiated with a view to bring out top class talented cricketers from different parts of India. The Ranji Trophy is considered to be the premier cricket tournament in India. Most of the participating teams in this tournament mainly represent various Indian states. Apart from the state teams, there are also some other teams that are run and managed by different corporate houses or governmental organisations. Such teams include the Railways and Services etc. The teams are divided into two groups named the Elite Group and Plate Group and there are two different winners for each of the groups. The teams in the Elite Group are considered to be the best ones in the Ranji Trophy.

Duleep TrophyIt is one of the most popular and prestigious Cricket tournaments in India. The tournament started its journey in the year 1961-62 and was named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinghji, the nephew of KS Ranjitsinhji. In the initial period, the tournament was played between 5 teams, chosen from 5 different zones of India like the East Zone, West Zone, North Zone, South Zone and Central Zone. The teams used to play against each other in a knockout format. However, the format of the championship was changed in the year 1993-94 and the teams started to play in a league format.

Irani Trophy
Among the Cricket tournaments in India, the Irani Trophy is a noteworthy and popular tournament. The tournament was named after the late Z R Irani and was conceived during the 1959-60 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy Championship. Mr. Irani was associated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) since its inception in 1928, until his death in 1970. He also played the role of the honorary treasurer of BCCI from 1948 to 1962, and served as the President of BCCI from 1966 to 1969. In this tournament, a match is played between the Ranji Trophy Champions of the preceding year and a selected Rest of India XI. The winner of the match wins the championship trophy. Though, it is a one-match tournament, the Irani Trophy is counted among the few domestic matches that are followed with keen interest by cricket lovers in the country. The top class Indian Cricket players take part in the game, which has often been considered as a sort of selection trial to pick the Indian team for foreign tours.

In all the tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy, mainly longer version of the game of Cricket is followed. The matches usually have duration of 3 or 4 days. However, there is a One-Day tournament in India also. This tournament is named the Deodhar Trophy and it is considered one of the prominent One-Day Cricket tournaments in India.

Deodhar TrophyThe Deodhar trophy is named after Dinkar Balwant Deodhar, known as the grand old man of Indian cricket. The tournament started its journey in 1973-74. Deodhar was one of the premier first class batsmen to lead Maharashtra and he died in 1993 at the age of 101. The tournament is played following the standard 50 over format and 5 teams compete with each other in the Deodhar Trophy. The teams are made from 5 different zones like the North zone, South zone, East zone, West zone and Central Zone and the tournament follows the league format. There are no semi-finals or finals in this tournament and the winner is decided on the basis of highest points earned by each team at the end of all the matches. The team earning the highest points ends up as the winner.

NKP Salve Challenger Trophy
Apart from the above mentioned Cricket tournaments in India, there is also another tournament in India named the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy. This tournament was incepted by the BCCI as the Challenger Trophy, in 1994-95 considering that India plays a huge number of one-day games at the international level. The tournament was re-christened in 1998-99, in the name of NKP Salve, who was responsible for India hosting the World Cup in 1987. Following the One-Day format, the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy is seen as a tournament where out of form international cricketers can try to play well and get themselves back in form. However, it is also considered as a platform for the youngsters to prove their talent against the best cricketers in the country. The tournament comprises 3 teams named as India Senior, India A and India B.

Cricket Tournaments in India are conducted in highest quality with aspiring and new cricketers competing to attract the attention of renowned cricketers. All the major competitions are organised under the guidance of the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India.

(Last Updated on : 09/09/2014)

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